Dba study guide course i uae batch 1 0

SBS SWISS BUSINESS SCHOOL
Doctor of Business Administration
MODULE 1:
DOCTORAL MANAGEMENT RESEARCH
PERSPECTIVES
In Exclusive Collaboration with Al Tareeqah
Management Studies
United Arab Emirates
Study Guide
SBS Swiss Business School reserves the right to change the program structure, contents and all
Terms and conditions relating to the DBA program at their sole discretion.
© Copyright SBS Swiss Business School

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................... 1
SEMINAR LEADER .................................................................................................................................. 2
CONTACT DETAILS ................................................................................................................................ 3
Swiss Business School (SBS) ........................................................................................ 3
ACADEMIC CONDUCT ........................................................................................................................... 4
Penalties ....................................................................................................................... 4
COURSE OVERVIEW .............................................................................................. 5
DOCTORAL MANAGEMENT RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES ............................................................. 5
AIMS AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES .................................................................................................. 6
ASSUMED KNOWLEDGE ....................................................................................................................... 6
SEMINAR SCHEDULE ............................................................................................................................. 7
RESOURCES .............................................................................................................................................. 8
SEMINAR SESSIONS ............................................................................................................................... 10
PRE-SEMINAR TASKS ........................................................................................................................... 11
SESSION 1: ................................................................................................................. 12
DOCTORAL STUDY: THE EMERGENCE OF THE DBA & UNIVERSITY
EXPECTATIONS........................................................................................................................................ 12
Session Focus ............................................................................................................... 12
Resources ..................................................................................................................... 12
Questions....................................................................................................................... 12
SESSION 2: ................................................................................................................. 13
EPISTEMOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS IN DOCTORAL STUDY AND RESEARCH ........................ 13
Session Focus................................................................................................................ 13
Resource........................................................................................................................ 13
Questions ...................................................................................................................... 13
SESSION 3: ................................................................................................................. 14
THE STUDY OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT ......................................... 14
Session Focus ............................................................................................................... 14
Resources ..................................................................................................................... 14
Questions ...................................................................................................................... 14
SESSION 4: ................................................................................................................. 15
THE CONTRIBUTION OF RESEARCH TO MANAGEMENT PRACTICE:
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PRACTICAL OPERATIONAL BUSINESS RESEARCH,
CONSULTING RESEARCH AND SCHOLARLY RESEARCH ............................................................. 15
Session Focus................................................................................................................ 15
Resources ..................................................................................................................... 15
Questions ...................................................................................................................... 15
SESSION 5: ................................................................................................................. 16
CURRENT ISSUES IN MANAGEMENT RESEARCH AND THE MANAGER’S
PRACTITIONER ROLE ............................................................................................................................ 16
Session Focus ............................................................................................................... 16
Resources ..................................................................................................................... 16
Questions ...................................................................................................................... 16

SESSION 6: ................................................................................................................ 17
ISSUES IN THE APPROACH TO RESEARCH ....................................................................................... 17
Session Focus ............................................................................................................... 17
Resources ..................................................................................................................... 17
Questions ...................................................................................................................... 17
ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................ 18
SEMINAR PREPARATION AND PRESENTATION............................................................................... 18
SEMINAR PARTICIPATION ................................................................................................................... 18
ASSIGNMENT ........................................................................................................................................... 18

Introduction
Welcome to the DBA course in Doctoral Management Research Perspectives.
This Study Guide provides details to assist your study with the Doctoral Management Research
Perspectives course within the Doctor of Business Administration Program of SBS Swiss
Business School, Zurich.
This document should be read in conjunction with the Program Information. In addition you will
need to refer to the Course Readings. You will also be expected to read and research beyond the
references listed in this Study Guide.
Please read this Study Guide carefully so that you come to the first session with many questions.
If you have any concerns or questions please contact your Local Program Manager:
Al Tareeqah Management Studies

Doctoral Management Research Perspectives 1
© SBS Swiss Business School
Seminar Leader
Dr. Olin Oedekoven
Dr. Olin O. Oedekoven has over 30 years of management, leadership, and academic experience. In
management, Dr. Oedekoven formed and leads two companies: Peregrine Leadership Institute and
Peregrine Academic Services. In leadership, Dr. Oedekoven has served in roles at all organizational
levels from first-line leader through strategic leadership. In academics, Professor Oedekoven has
taught doctoral level studies and chaired doctoral committees with two US-based universities. He also
has extensive work experience in both the public and private sectors with a comprehensive
background in management, business administration, and organizational leadership.
PLEASE ADD HERE THE INFO
Doctoral Management Research Perspective 2

Contact Details
Swiss Business School (SBS)
The SBS administrative staff should be your first point of contact with any enquiries. If they are
unable to assist you they will direct you to the appropriate source.
Email: dean@sbs.edu, Bert Wolfs, Ph.D.
Phone: +41 44 880 00 88
Postal address
SBS Swiss Business School
Balz Zimmermannstrasse 34-38
Building C
8302 Kloten-Zurich
Switzerland

Academic Conduct
You are advised to become familiar with the School’s policies and guidelines concerning such
matters as
• assessment,
• use of appropriate language,
• plagiarism,
• copyright, and
• referencing .
Penalties
Deliberate academic misconduct such as plagiarism is subject to penalties.
Failure to correctly reference will result in lower grades or investigation of misconduct.
Penalties for plagiarism (that is, using other people's ideas, thoughts or words without
acknowledgement) are severe.
If you are found guilty of deliberate plagiarism you shall be subject to any of the following
penalties:
• Failure in the component of the course, a note in your file and a reprimand from the
Academic Dean or nominee, as appropriate;
• Failure in the entire course, a note in your file and a reprimand from the Academic Dean
or nominee, as appropriate;
• Expulsion from the Program.

Course Overview
Doctoral Management Research Perspectives
This course inducts candidates to the nature of doctoral study and commences their learning
journey through the business administration and management field using the rigorous research
perspectives of the scholarly tradition. As such, it explores the development of DBA Programs,
their place in business-academic interface, and their position at the upper levels. It reinforces the
notion of a history to the study of business, the development of management as a discipline of
study and its interconnections with other disciplines of learning. It examines the perceived
differences between practical research for day-to-day operational business matters and scholarly
research that results in original and/or added value contributions to the practice of business and
management.
It begins by exploring an overview of the study of business administration and management, and
the evolution of the DBA award. The study of management has derived from a range of
disciplines such as economics, psychology, sociology and political science, building a body of
knowledge about business organization, resource development and the leadership of people. It has
developed allied and sub-disciplines of strategy and planning, human resource management,
managerial finance, and marketing, all which are now characterized by scholarly research,
differences with operational business research, the scientific paradigm and a range of approaches
to research, including the ethical basis to the involvement of human subjects. It concludes with
experiential reflection of the manager’s role and research of management issues.

Aims and Learning Objectives
The overall aim of this course is to develop understanding of the nature of doctoral study in
business administration and management through notions of business history, the development of
management as a discipline of study and its interconnections with other disciplines of learning.
On completion of the course candidates should be able to:
• Explain the characteristics of doctoral study and scholarly research in making a
contribution to professional business and management practice.
• Describe the development of business administration as a field of study and its
interconnections with other disciplines of learning.
• Identify differences between practical research for operational business purposes and
scholarly research approaches.
• Present an overview of contemporary management frameworks and issues.
• Identify changing features in the modern management practitioner role.
• Explain characteristics of the scientific paradigm, the objectivity – subjectivity debate,
intrusive and participant enquiry and interpretive research.
Assumed Knowledge
It is expected that all students in this course, as mature postgraduate students with relevant
workplace experience will:
• Be committed to personal development and professional practice.
• Be effective problem solvers, applying logical, critical and creative thinking.
• Be able to work autonomously and collaboratively
• Be committed to ethical action and social responsibility.
• Communicate effectively.
• Demonstrate international perspectives.
• Be able to find examples from and make reference to personal workplace experience and
current management practice.

Seminar Schedule
The seminar for this course is arranged so that you have intensive contact with your lecturer and
fellow students for a total of 16 hours.
Normally this means we meet for 2 Saturdays from 09:00 – 18:00.
We start and finish on time and we leave sufficient time for refreshment breaks.
The purpose of the seminar sessions is to give you intensive contact with lecturers and fellow
students as you plan, conduct and write up the research you will do.
Of course the most important work is the reading, thinking and writing that you do before,
between and after seminar sessions.
The sessions themselves will give you direction, and give you the opportunity to ask questions, try
out ideas and, most importantly, share ideas and experiences with fellow students.
Please check with SBS Partner (s) so that you know the time and place for the first seminar.

Resources
The resources and materials that support the seminar are:
• Bareham, J., Bourner, T. and Stevens, G. (2000). “The DBA: What is it for?” Careers
Development International. Vol. 5, no. 7, pp 394-403
• “The Logic of Social Research”, pp 1-15
• Dent, Eric B. (2002). “Developing Scholarly Practitioners: Doctoral Management
Education in the 21st Century”. Chapter 6 in Wankel, C. and De Fillipi, R. eds. (2002).
Rethinking Management Education for the 21st Century. Information Age, N.Y.
• Denzin N, Lincoln Y, (1994) “Handbook of Qualitative Research” pp 1 - 17
• Robinson, (1993), “Current Controversies in Action Research”
• Raelin J., (1997), “Action Learning and Action Science – Are They Different?”pp 21-34
• Kilduff M.,Mehra A., (1997), “Postmodernism and Organizational Research”, pp 453 -
481
• Brown R. (1997), “You Can’t Expect Rationality from Pregnant Men: Reflections on
Multi-disciplinarily in Management Research”, pp 23-30
• Agnew N., Pyke S.,(1994) “The Science Game: An Introduction to Research in the Social
Sciences”pp 269 - 290
• Zikmund M., (1997), “Business Research Methods” pp 63-78
• Whitley R., (1984), “The Scientific Status of Management Research As a Practically
Oriented Social Science”pp 369-390
The booklet of Readings is intended to complement other materials that are the primary source for
this course. The readings have been selected to give you substantial information and to support the
main topics and key areas considered in the seminar. Some of the readings are simple and
straightforward; others are quite difficult and sophisticated.
The readings need to be approached with the aim of seeking general understanding. There is no
examination in this and so the readings are not there to be learned in detail. They are intended as a
resource to help you gradually build an understanding of Doctoral management perspectives and
grasp the processes and strategies that are part of doing DBA research.

The seminar presentations made by you and your fellow participants will be an important part of
each seminar. We encourage you to try out your ideas in order to get constructive feedback from
other professionals.

Seminar Sessions
The course seminars will include 6 sessions of approximately two and a half hours each.
Session 1 Doctoral Study: The Emergence of the DBA & SBS Expectations
Session 2 The Study of Business Administration and Management:
Epistemological Foundations
Session 3 Business and Management: The History of Business Management
as a Field of Study
Session 4 The Contribution of Research to Management Practice and
Differences with Practical Operational Business Research
Session 5 Current Issues in Management Research and the Managers’
Practitioner Role
Session 6 Issues in the Approach to Research
This course begins with a self-directed period of reading and study about the emergence of
doctoral qualification in the business administration and management discipline. This is guided by
the readings presenting different views about contemporary issues in management education, the
epistemological foundations of research and the contribution of research to our understanding of
management and the modern management practitioner role.
During the process of this reading, candidates have an assignment to prepare for presentation
within the seminar, and two preparatory tasks for contribution to discussion. These are outlined
below as Pre-Seminar Tasks and will form part of the assessment for the course.
It is expected that each candidate will be familiar with the set readings in time for the seminars. In
addition, in line with conventional expectations of Doctoral level study, it is anticipated that
candidates will have explored wider reading around the themes of the course and have some
reflections to show in class about the issues from other written sources.

Pre-Seminar Tasks
1) Candidates need to prepare a statement presenting a reflective position on your experience
of the manager’s role and some researchable issues around that role, or on general
management, in light of your preliminary reading. This is an initial task in bringing
together the practice of management with academic consideration of the practice. You will
be asked to present this in session 4 during the seminar. The presentation is to be
supported by a 1000 word summary which is to be submitted during the seminar for
assessment, representing 25% of the final assessment grade.
2) Complete ALL the readings supplied (refer to Resources list) ready for discussion of these
writers’ views in the specified sessions.
3) Prepare a 1 page set of notes (about 250 words and may be in the form of dot points)
identifying 2-3 major contributors to the writing about management and saying why you
see them as significant. This will be discussed in Session 3 and the notes need to be
submitted then.
4) Prepare a set of notes (2-3 pages) of key words and phrases in response to the prescribed
questions for each session. This is to be submitted at the conclusion of the seminars.

Session 1:
Doctoral Study: The Emergence of the DBA &
University Expectations
Session Focus
In this session we will focus on the following:
• Introductions
• Orientation to Doctoral study and the DBA program.
• The emergence of the DBA as a professional doctorate qualification
• Program Expectations
• Your expectations of the program.
Resources
• Bareham, J., Bourner, T. and Stevens, G. (2000). “The DBA: What is it for?” Careers
Development International. Vol. 5, no. 7, pp 394-403
• Dent, Eric B. (2002). “Developing Scholarly Practitioners: Doctoral Management
Education in the 21st Century”. Chapter 6 in Wankel, C. and De Fillipi, R. eds. (2002).
Rethinking Management Education for the 21st Century. Information Age, N.Y.
Questions
In this session, you should be seeking answers to these questions:
1) What are the projected expectations for professional Doctorate study?
2) What might be the expected core capacities of a DBA graduate?
3) What are your expectations and do they match with those reflected in the literature?

Session 2:
Epistemological Foundations in Doctoral Study and
Research
Session Focus
• The meaning of a knowledge base for business administration and management.
• Themes in knowledge generation.
• Building knowledge and the role of research in building knowledge.
• The scientific model.
• The search for additional alternative approaches.
Resource
• Zikmund M., (1997), “Business Research Methods” pp 63-78
Questions
1) How is knowledge created and generated?
2) How does research contribute to knowledge?
3) What are the criteria for effective approaches to scholarly research?

Session 3:
The Study of Business Administration and
Management
Session Focus
In this session we will focus on a review of the following:
• The history and evolution of management thought.
• Backgrounds and approaches to the study of management.
• Different perspectives in the practice of management.
• The growth of management development, the MBA, post-MBA qualifications and other
award paths in management.
Resources
• General reading from management texts from your previous reading.
Questions
1) What have been the main historical “building block” themes in the study of management?
2) What are key concepts guiding the current study of management?

Session 4:
The Contribution of Research to Management
Practice: Differences between Practical Operational
Business Research, Consulting Research and
Scholarly Research
Session Focus
• Exploration of perceptions / understandings of management practice and “what needs
knowing”.
• Profiling the state of management knowledge.
• Exploration of examples of published outcomes of research.
Resources
• Raelin J., (1997), “Action Learning and Action Science – Are They Different?”pp 21-34
• Agnew N., Pyke S.,(1994) “The Science Game: An Introduction to Research in the Social
Sciences”pp 269 - 290
Questions
1) How is scholarly research differentiated from other research activity?
2) What are the key characteristics in a management researcher’s approach?

Session 5:
Current Issues in Management Research and the
Manager’s Practitioner Role
Session Focus
• Shared findings on current issues.
• Gaps and questions.
• Exploration of the managers’ practitioner role.
• Discussion of research approaches.
Resources
• General reading from management texts from your previous reading.
Questions
1) What are the current issues for management research?
2) How might research questions be formulated from these issues?

Session 6:
Issues in the Approach to Research
Session Focus
• The quantitative-qualitative dimension.
• Critical analysis and interpretation.
• Participatory research; action research.
• Understanding of diversity within systematic and rigorous frameworks.
• Ethical code requirements in human research.
Resources
• O’ Brian R (2009) An Overview of the Methodological Approach to Action Research
• Bisoux T., (2009) “Solving the Doctoral Dilemma” Biz Ed
• Lockart J. & Stablein R., (2002)” Spanning the Academy Practice Divide”, Higher
Education Research and Development Journal, Vol 21, # 2.
• SBS DBA Handbook
• (Supplementary: Stein F., (2003) “Why smart executives fail”)
Questions
1) At this stage, do my research interests suggest a quantitative, qualitative or pluralist
approach?
2) What issues do I need to explore to underpin my approach?
3) What are the ethical requirements for conducting this research?

Assessment
The assessment for this course comprises:
Seminar preparation and presentation (1000 words) 25%
Seminar participation 15%
Individual Assignment (2000 words) 60%
Seminar Preparation and Presentation
As outlined in the Pre-Seminar Tasks section, you need to submit a 1000 word summary which
supports your seminar presentation of your reflections about some researchable issues drawn from
your experience of the manager’s role.
Seminar Participation
This is assessed in 3 ways:
1) Notes on 2 to 3 major contributors to the writing about management submitted in Session
2) The set of notes of key words and/or phrases in response to the presented questions.
3) Contribution to seminar discussions.
Assignment
Henry Mintzberg and other writers have talked about the cluster of roles that a manager performs.
How does a manager add the role of academic researcher to the cluster? What differences in
approach does this imply? What challenges does this present?
In the context of the literature you have considered for the course and the seminar discussion,
explain what you see as the requirements to pursue the role of academic researcher in conjunction
with performance as a manager.
Support your explanation by reference to the views of other writers in the literature. (2000 words)

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